microsoft gives australian govt user details.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Micr...Details-on-More-than-1-000-Users-388003.shtml

Redmond-based tech giant Microsoft has revealed in a new report that it provided details of 1050 users to the Australian government in the first half of 2013.

The company said that it received a total of 1219 requests for access to user data, with Microsoft granting access to email addresses, locations, IP addresses, and names for 86 percent of them.

Of course, Redmond issued a statement to explain that it only shares user details based on federal requests, as it continues to treat private information very carefully.

"We place a premium on respecting and protecting the privacy of our users,” the company was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

"At the same time, Microsoft recognises that law enforcement plays a critically important role in keeping our users and our technology safe and free from abuse or exploitation."

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the company received more than 37,000 requests from a total of 64 governments, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Turkey. The company complied with 80 percent of these requests, it said, with some including what it called imminent emergencies, such as suicide threats.

 

I wonder if anyone will really believe that statement, unless the author just used it for sarcastic purpose. I mean, c'mon... I'm on the same cart with them and I found it to be laughable if it turned out to be the real meaning. You're a devil, quit trying to look like an angel. Once the bird leaves the cage, would you think you can tell it to go back to you unharmed? Nope? Okay, neither do I.

 

1. 80% of 37,000 out of 64 govt is a relatively small value when you compare it to the pool of Windows users there are in the states of these 64 govt. Sure, it isn't pretty picture and it's disgusting from a privacy perspective but if one looks at it in a broader manner, it can be much worse given MS's share of the OS market.

2. MS didn't comply with 20% of these requests. It goes to show that while they do comply with federal requests (as much as we don't want them to), they don't willy nilly provide it if those requests are groundless and not backed with necessity.

3. MS is after all a company with its own interest at stake. It needs to tread on both sides carefully. They can't afford to promise the kind of privacy some folks demand/need while at the same time having to comply with laws which are not in their hands. As much as we want them to be superheroes and fighters for our rights, I'm pretty sure MS can't and wouldn't want to pull a stunt and close shop like Lavabit did. Heck, they won't even fight for the "Metro" name and instead encourages the use of "Modern UI" as a replacement of sorts....goes to show how pathetic they can be.

4. The fact that they 'revealed in a report' says something. They are no angels but they aren't necessarily as evil too.